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Who else here works retail?

D

DogFromDuckhunt

Senior member
I swear, sooner or later I'm just going to lose it and if I don't rant it's going to be sooner rather than later. Post your own experiences, laugh at me, laugh at the people .. w/e, but I need to just get some stuff out. FYI - I work Electronics @ Target (have for about 7 months now), and I consider myself intelligent but some people I just cannot understand.

Take tonight for example:

1) Lady comes in asking for tax advice and how to work the tax program she purchased at our store. When I told her we weren't customer support and wouldn't do her taxes for her (yes, she asked me if I'd do them for her...) she was very adamant about how it was so wrong for us to be selling this product and not know how to use them or be able to help every step of the way. ... Now honestly, I'm standing there in my red shirt with my khaki's on and my little nametag, do I look like the goddamned IRS? Honestly, what the hell?!

2) Another lady came up and asked me about 3 or 4 different models of TV's to look at and tell her about them. I told her what made one model better than the other, if you were actually paying for better parts or just a name, etc... and I felt I did a rather good job with explaining it. She then decides to get one of the crappiest TV's we carry "because the case is white" and she "wanted a white TV". Now honestly, what the fvck? She KNEW this walking in there and before she even asked me, what in the hell was the point of wasting my time and keeping me tied up while there were other people waiting when you already had yer goddamn mind made up that you wanted a white tv instead of one that will last?! ARGGGGGGGGGGHSAHGLKSAGLKSALSAHGSLKAGHSAKHGSLHGKLKTHGAGIwhgtiowahgolh

3) Oh, lets not forget the lady that was with her husband that changed her mind about 6 different times before I went to go get down the huge fvcking 32" TV from the top shelf in the back. The lady I asked several times "Are you SURE you want this television, I'm going to go get it now." The very same lady that was so damned indecisive she must have changed her mind 50 times while I was gone and then finally when I come back with the TV she decides she wants the other model because the buttons on the front of this one aren't to her liking and she didn't notice it until just now. Die, now, please.

Oh yeah, I could go on (and before you say anything, it's just a coincidence that tonight the top three that stuck out in my mind were all female). Hell I could probably write an f'n book on the people I've met and head to deal with. Hell, tonight was actually pretty mild by most standards ... I can't imagine what it must be like to work in retail for as long as some people have. I'm only doing it until I can find something better, and to pay for my school.

*takes a deep breath*

Ahhh... I feel a bit better now, you may resume your regularly scheduled life now.
 
Dealing with the public on a day-to-day basis SUCKS. I've never had to experience it myself (thankfully), but people are so far out there sometimes. Some don't know the first thing about common courtesy.

Don't they feel the least bit bothersome to the salesperson when asking to see 10 different items before they pick ? I know I do. Even though I have every right to see the product line, I'm not going to put people through that much trouble - I should've done the research myself first.

As a small example as to what kind of people are out there ... we were food shopping yesterday and it's packed because it's Sunday. This lady just "parks" her cart smack in the middle of the aisle and goes to get her ticket for the cold cuts. Hello ?! This is the only way out of the fuggin aisle dips#it. What's worse is that she saw a few of us walking towards that way to get out. WTF is wrong with some people ?! Is this stuff not common sense ?
 
Whats really a bummer is the fact that the customer is always right.Heaven help you if you get between a customer and the store manager.
 
Originally posted by: squirrel dog
Whats really a bummer is the fact that the customer is always right.Heaven help you if you get between a customer and the store manager.
Click to expand...

I agree 🙁
 
I used to work at Sears. There is one idiot customer that really sticks out in my mind. He bought a couple of shirts and paid by credit card. Obviously, I had to swipe the card through the register for the transaction. Well, he signs the bill, and we complete the purchase. Then he picks up another shirt near the register, comes back to me and says, "I want to get this too, but I'm not giving you my credit card." So I ask him how he wants to pay, and he replies, "credit card; but I'm not giving it to you."

That's why I hate people.
 
You sound like a good kid who's trying too hard. Anymore, I'm happy if a store employee bothers to acknowledge my presence, let alone offer advice! If a customer asked me a stupid question, I'd give 'em a one word answer and continue working on something else. I doubt Target pays you enough to put up with much crap.
 
1) I can help you with your taxes maam but I'm going to have to audit you first. You need to bring me all your tax returns in your life that you've filed and the paperwork for it.
Or I can help you but I have to charge you accountants rates of $70 an hour.

2) It's like anything else lady, the cheaper it is, the more likely it is to break. Now I imagine you don't care about that, so would you like me to get you the cheapest tv we sell.

3) This is the only 32" tv we have in the back.
 
1) I can help you with your taxes maam but I'm going to have to audit you first. You need to bring me all your tax returns in your life that you've filed and the paperwork for it.
Or I can help you but I have to charge you accountants rates of $70 an hour.

2) It's like anything else lady, the cheaper it is, the more likely it is to break. Now I imagine you don't care about that, so would you like me to get you the cheapest tv we sell.

3) This is the only 32" tv we have in the back.
Click to expand...

LOL
 
Originally posted by: Zim Hosein
Originally posted by: squirrel dog
Whats really a bummer is the fact that the customer is always right.Heaven help you if you get between a customer and the store manager.
Click to expand...

I agree 🙁
Click to expand...

If you work in a store where the manager wont back you up then its time to go.
I worked as a manager for a large grocery chain store b4 i graduated and i never backed the customer up unless the employee was obviously wrong...i always found middle ground or removed the employee from the equation and helped the customer on my own then talk to the employee in private and discuss if the situation could have been handled diffrently. nothign worse han havign a manager and a customer yelling at u..thats just wrong.



 
Originally posted by: Freejack2
1) I can help you with your taxes maam but I'm going to have to audit you first. You need to bring me all your tax returns in your life that you've filed and the paperwork for it.
Or I can help you but I have to charge you accountants rates of $70 an hour.

2) It's like anything else lady, the cheaper it is, the more likely it is to break. Now I imagine you don't care about that, so would you like me to get you the cheapest tv we sell.

3) This is the only 32" tv we have in the back.
Click to expand...

1) I just told her I wasn't the IRS and walked away.
2) I had told her just that when she asked about the TV's ... and yet she still with the pos because "it was white".
3) I have done that in the past, and would have done that already ... except remember how I said she was really wishy-washy? Well I had already done a backroom location check on the TV's she was considering and she already knew they were in stock. Otherwise I would have done just that.

Ugh, I don't necessarily try to hard. I just do my job, I show up and do what I'm told. If someone asks me a question I try and answer it, I know that if I went to a store and asked someone about a TV they carried and the only thing they could tell me would be the brand and the color of the case I wouldn't buy sh!t from them. When I go in with a question, I expect to be told at least something about the TV. I do research on my own, but there's nothing like actually going down and seeing the item and asking someone who deals with it on a daily basis. I mean, they hand us all this info on the TV's ... how hard is it to read? Meh, I just consider it my job. As for the guy that asked about looking at 10 displays ... it really isn't that bothersome, and really if you're the only one around I'm usually more than happy to talk to someone about Digicams and show them different models. Hell, you have no idea how bored I get most shifts ... now if it's extremely busy and you want to view 10 different camera's thats a different story.
 
One of my faves, from working cashier at a restaurant:

Phone rings..
"Thank you for calling The Cheesecake Factory, how can I help you?"
"Umm, yes.. I have a question about the Chicken Piccata on the menu...is that a chicken dish?"
"😕 Err..yes?"
 
I had few strange issues in my days of retail food service, but there were a couple gems:

1) Dude walks in with a coupon for three free bagels. He wants 6 bagels total. Bagels are 50 cents. Sales tax is 6%. If you order 6 bagels, it's bulk = no sales tax. Except I can't ring him up 6 bagels - he's only BUYING 3. I'm giving him the other 3. So he gets charged $1.59 and throws a hissy over the 9 cents. I had to give him an ultimatum - Take your 3 free bagels, or take 6 and pay the tax. If you don't like the tax, write to your senator.

2) Dude walks in and picks up a copy of the NYT. I charge him the 35 cent cover price. He insists that since we arent in NYC, it SHOULD cost 50 cents. I explain to him that at my store we just charge cover price. I'm saving the dude money and he's arguing with me! Eventually he left the 50 cents and I had to pocket 15 cents so that my drawer wouldn't be off-balance
rolleye.gif


3) Another guy asks me if I just started working. I said "No, I've been here almost a year. Did I screw up your order?" He says "No, you're just too cheerful to be hawking bagels at 7AM on a rainy Sunday morning."
"Thanks. I think......."

4) And on mothers day, the manager had me handing out carnations to all the women in the store. So as not to offend any woman who was NOT a mother, I didn't say it was for mothers, I just said I was giving them to all women in honor of the holiday. One lady got really upset and broke her flower and threw it in the trash. Doh. Dunno what her story is but motherhood is apparently a touchy issue for her.


 
Guy comes in around 5:00. Looking for a digicam, specifically the Kodak CX4200. I tell him we have, it, but personally I'd recommend something with an optical zoom. He likes the CX4230. We don't have it, but can order it and have it in a few days. He knows all this by 5:45. At 6:20 he is still deciding if he should order it or buy the next model up, the DX4330. At this time he realizes we closed at 6. Apologizes profusely. Does not hurry up his decision though. Ends up leaving the store, with the better cam at least, around 6:50.
 
ok, none of these would make me loose my "cool" they are just funny...We have a couple of customers known on a first name basis.

Tom is the biggest pain in the ass, he has spent over 10k at our store, but has no merchandise in his home b/c he returns every frickin thing. No joke, he returns everything, last time he was in he wanted to use his cc credit card. He must of had a payment late or whatever b/c dps(computer system) wanted me to call in for an approval on the transaction. The lady on the phone at the bank asked me if i had verified id blah blah blah. Thing is, Tom didnt want to show his id, and refused to do so. I told the lady this and she denied the transaction. I told tom this, he got mad, and demanded to speak with the lady over the phone. Once Tom got the phone he started yelling about not showing his id and that if he cant get an approval for this transaction to just close his account. Every customer was staring at us. All this over some fax film, worst part is, less than a week later he was back returning the fvcking film. He has even made a couple girls over in our music department cry by screaming at them.

Funny when the old people come in and ask where the "walking" phones are eh?

Got to love when people want to price match and get our deal too... then cant understand why they cant "double dip" on a product.

Great when you catch some punk ass kids stealing cell phone, kick them out of the store unkowning that the parents are with them. Then the parents come back in demanding to know why their child was kicked out fo the store, and the look on their face when told it was b/c their sob kid was trying to steal.

This guy wants to pricematch a camera to compusa, i say no problem, difference is $50. He says he wants to look around, so i go help out some other people. Im at the register and the guy comes up with an xbox and controller + a game. He preceeds to tell me that he didnt want to buy the camera at this time. I ring up his stuff and give a total, he then becomes irrate and tells me he should get $50 the pruchase b/c of the pm with the camera. While laughing i explain that the pm was only good on the camera. he leaves all the stuff and walks out the store.

Just yesterday this guy 16/17 brings up an xbox and a bunch of stuff. He starts talking to me with "this is complicated" and explains that he has his "mom's" credit card and wants to buy the stuff. He then starts defending saying his mom has made a lot of purchases at the store before and that I can call her and ask her. I tell the kid sorry, but i cant complete the transaction, he then tells me he has a note from his mom explaining that it would be alright for him to use the card. I chuckle and tell the kid " this is not highschool gym, a note doesnt get you anywhere" i apologize that i cant take his moms credit card and he leaves.

um.......so many more, can go on & on & on...
 
Retail employees unite! 🙂 Honestly, I think part of your issue with potentially "losing it" has to do with your attitude. Chill. Your managers trained you with the best of intentions but I really think that most customers really don't want to be approached...it feels too much like confrontation. If someone has a question I'll go on at length about what they're looking at, but otherwise I just give a quick smile and nod and let them be on their happy way.

I've had a good two dozen customers come back after buying a product and ask how to get something working. I'm not on commission so I usually have a ball with this...once completely walked a customer through setting up Grand Theft Auto 3 on his son's PC - first on a computer in the store and then over the store phone with him at his house (he needed the new Detonators and DirectX 8.xx). Best Buy makes it easy for me to do stuff like that, though I do have my share of pressure to sell sell sell - but I'm not a salesperson, my title is "Product Specialist". 😀 I'm pretty sure that customer is liable to come back and buy his appliances, big-screen TV, digital camera etc. from us the next time instead of brushing him off the phone to sell a $29 copy of QuickTax Standard to someone else. In that way I feel ready to defend my actions at any time to management.

Maybe if you're only really employable in retail for the next little while, consider a different section/store/company? I know that Best Buy in the States sounds like it's gotten to the point of managers foaming at the mouth with drilling selling extended warranties, but up in Canada it is, IMO, fun work. I've had my downs but you have to laugh at the customers who try to talk down to you...too bad AT doesn't have an accredited membership card or something, they have no clue until I open my mouth that I'm not just another retail drone - and if you post here, you're not either. They have no clue...
 
Originally posted by: DogFromDuckhunt
I swear, sooner or later I'm just going to lose it and if I don't rant it's going to be sooner rather than later. Post your own experiences, laugh at me, laugh at the people .. w/e, but I need to just get some stuff out. FYI - I work Electronics @ Target (have for about 7 months now), and I consider myself intelligent but some people I just cannot understand.

Take tonight for example:

1) Lady comes in asking for tax advice and how to work the tax program she purchased at our store. When I told her we weren't customer support and wouldn't do her taxes for her (yes, she asked me if I'd do them for her...) she was very adamant about how it was so wrong for us to be selling this product and not know how to use them or be able to help every step of the way. ... Now honestly, I'm standing there in my red shirt with my khaki's on and my little nametag, do I look like the goddamned IRS? Honestly, what the hell?!

2) Another lady came up and asked me about 3 or 4 different models of TV's to look at and tell her about them. I told her what made one model better than the other, if you were actually paying for better parts or just a name, etc... and I felt I did a rather good job with explaining it. She then decides to get one of the crappiest TV's we carry "because the case is white" and she "wanted a white TV". Now honestly, what the fvck? She KNEW this walking in there and before she even asked me, what in the hell was the point of wasting my time and keeping me tied up while there were other people waiting when you already had yer goddamn mind made up that you wanted a white tv instead of one that will last?! ARGGGGGGGGGGHSAHGLKSAGLKSALSAHGSLKAGHSAKHGSLHGKLKTHGAGIwhgtiowahgolh

3) Oh, lets not forget the lady that was with her husband that changed her mind about 6 different times before I went to go get down the huge fvcking 32" TV from the top shelf in the back. The lady I asked several times "Are you SURE you want this television, I'm going to go get it now." The very same lady that was so damned indecisive she must have changed her mind 50 times while I was gone and then finally when I come back with the TV she decides she wants the other model because the buttons on the front of this one aren't to her liking and she didn't notice it until just now. Die, now, please.

Oh yeah, I could go on (and before you say anything, it's just a coincidence that tonight the top three that stuck out in my mind were all female). Hell I could probably write an f'n book on the people I've met and head to deal with. Hell, tonight was actually pretty mild by most standards ... I can't imagine what it must be like to work in retail for as long as some people have. I'm only doing it until I can find something better, and to pay for my school.

*takes a deep breath*

Ahhh... I feel a bit better now, you may resume your regularly scheduled life now.
Click to expand...


I think you could have handled each of those situations a bit differently to minimize your own frustration. Did they teach about selling at Target? Any strategies?

1. I used to see people like this all the time. Sometimes I would run into a dozen of them in a day. People like that expect red carpet treatment for some reason. Maybe they are spoiled or just have a really bad attitude. Maybe there was something about your body language that pissed them off. Just stay calm and explain to them that you're a salesperson, not a tax accountant and that there is a phone number for them to call for tax help (it should be on the box). If they are still pissy about it, send them to customer service. There is nothing else you can do.

2. She might have just not understood all the features you were talking about. They just meant nothing to her. I would have asked her what she was looking for before going into any details. I believe that in most cases, you are getting more benefits from a product that retails at a higher price. Sometimes it's a better design, weight, or better warranty/support. Hardly ever do you pay a much higher price for just for a brand name (in retail consumer electronics at least).

3. That sucks to have to haul a TV out for someone. Did she pay first? Can you make her pay first? That way if she changes her mind, she has to go return it.


If you don't think you're being paid well enough for your time and effort, just quit. That's what I did.
 
While working at a music store, I had this guy that wanted to return a CD. Except, the CD was open and we would only exchange it for the same thing. He says no, and leaves. An hour or so later, he brings it back - sealed not with a shrink wrapper, but carefully placed back in the original plastic, which was now sealed with *wet* Elmer's glue. :disgust:
 
I loved working in the stockroom at Target-the only time I had to deal with customers was diring the dash to the back of the store to get into the stockroom🙂

now if only they were hiring here...
 
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